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How would I go about making an 'item locator'? (like a remote control finder/key finder) Answered

How would I go about creating an 'item locator' such as one used to find a remote control or car keys. I've been interested in setting up a system for all the things I keep in my storage area so that they are easily found by pressing a button on a panel or 'base' and then having it locate the actual item (which will start beeping/flashing, or what have you). I'm curious as to how these typically communicate with each other since I'm a beginner in electronics.?

1 Replies

They communicate via low-power radio. The base station incorporates a transmitter at a specific frequency (or maybe a frequency plus some simple signal pattern -- think Morse code), and you attach a receiver dongle to the item you want to be able to find. When the receiver picks up the transmitter's signal, it starts doing something you can see/hear/find.

Building such a system yourself would be a bit complicated, but an excellent way for you to immerse yourself in electronics. However, keep in mind that "economy of scale" means that anything you build yourself along these lines is going to be more expensive than buying something already fabricated.